Eight stars
When this latest novel by C.J. Tudor crossed my radar, I could not help but give it a try. Tudor knows how to write and present a story that captured my attention from the outset. While the vampire craze may have passed (I was late to the game and recently went on a binge of vampire popular fiction), there is much that still needs to be said about the human-vampire cohabitation situation. In a small Alaskan town, a boy has been killed and many wonder if a group of vampires might be behind it. While Deadhart is a place like no other, an outsider arrives to help with the investigation, only to discover there is much more going on that she was told. As the murder becomes more complex, there is little time to wait, as both sides begin rallying to defend their kind. Tudor does a formidable job here and has me eager to see what's next.
The small Alaska town of Deadhart has a population of 673, at least when you only count the living. A boy is found with his throat torn apart and his blood removed. This is not a bear attack or even one of a hungry wolf. This is the worst killing that Deadhart has seen in a quarter century and has all the hallmarks of someone from the Colony. This is a collective of vampires who have taken over an old mining building deep in the woods outside of town.
Detective Barbara Atkins is called in to assist. An expert in vampire killings, Detective Atkins arrives to determine if this is a Colony killing or someone trying to pit blame on the group.. Should the Colony be deemed at fault, it could mean a cull, killing of the entire group. Detective Atkins vows that she will get to the bottom of it and enlists the assistance of a local law enforcement officer, Jenson Tucker. After he was almost killed during a previous investigation, Tucker has slipped into the shadows, but agrees to lend his local expertise.
Detectives Atkins and Tucker begin unravelling things and get to the heart of the matter, just as another body pops up and adds to the mystery. There is a serial killer on the streets of Deadhart, but their identity and 'kind' remain a mystery. Whether this is a bloodthirsty vampire who has decided to strike humans or someone with a penchant to kill and frame the Colony, trouble looms. Both are deadly, but which is more troubling? Tudor frames this story well and keeps the reader on their toes.
While many might wonder why vampire fiction is making its way into current publications, I was pleased to see C.J. Tudor tackle this subject. She does well to keep the story strong throughout, adding depth to a piece that has all the elements for success. A strong narrative that clips along and keeps the reader hooked from the opening pages. There are strong themes that emerge and develop as the plot thickens. When things are at their height, Tudor has her many characters offering their own flavourings to the larger story and keeping things tense throughout. I enjoyed the banter between the humans and vampires, both of whom were depicted in a superior manner.
Plot points prove to the the core of the story's success. There are many elements needed to keep things on track and Tudor does so with ease. Surprises keep the reader flipping pages well into the night, while the unknown keeps fuelling the story's progress. This is a great 21st century return to vampires and the struggles of their revenge, without getting too melodramatic or hokey. C.J. Tudor is always full of ideas and I cannot wait to see whee things are headed next.
Kudos, Madam Tudor, for this eerie story.
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